Moral Intuition and the Professional Military Ethic
Moral Intuition and the Professional Military Ethic
by Michael C. Sevcik
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As our Army faces the professional ethics challenges of ten years at war, we would do well to realize how central emotion is to morality. We should shift our training, education and Army learning programs to focus mainly on developing men and women of character and integrity. Our Army should place less emphasis on the moral reasoning and ethical decision making processes when it comes to training in both the institutional school house and operational units. This quandary ethics approach not only falls short in providing a process that does not work when the bullets are flying but this thin slicing is a formula for postmodern relativism. When it comes to morality and ethics, the “how to” decision-making process is never as important as what our Soldier’s think morally, demonstrate in character and live by the example of uncompromising integrity. Three thousand years ago, Aristotle focused on the ‘character” of the individual. His focus regarding Stoic moral philosophy and approach to ethics was to build character in men based on courage, justice, temperance and wisdom. Only after we develop men and women of character, can we hope to get our Soldier’s to the proper “intuitive” moral response to the tough ethical challenges they face in both combat and garrison operations. With the understanding of how central the role of emotions is to morality, our commanders and leaders will able to better train their Soldiers and importantly, establish a command climate based on character, values and honor.
When it comes to morality and character, the human species has changed little during the past three millennia. Our approach as a professional organization ought to turn back from the quandaries of case studies and ethical decision making processes which lead moral relativism. Aristotle had it right — let’s get after the inculcation of morality, character and values in our Soldiers.
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COL. (Ret.) Michael C. Sevcik is an instructor at the School for Command Preparation, US Army Command & General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. He served for 32 years as a Soldier, retiring in 2007.
